Stock Compensation Plans (Notes)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Stock Compensation PlansCharter’s stock incentive plans provide for grants of nonqualified stock options, incentive stock options, stock appreciation rights, dividend equivalent rights, performance units and performance shares, share awards, phantom stock, restricted stock

units and restricted stock. Directors, officers and other employees of the Company and its subsidiaries, as well as others performing consulting services for the Company, are eligible for grants under the stock incentive plans.

Charter granted the following equity awards for the periods presented.


	Three Months Ended March 31,
		2021	2020
Stock options		1,225,000	1,253,700

Restricted stock units		345,100	408,300

Charter stock options and restricted stock units generally cliff vest three years from the date of grant. Certain stock options and restricted stock units vest based on achievement of stock price hurdles. Stock options generally expire ten years from the grant date and restricted stock units have no voting rights. Restricted stock generally vests one year from the date of grant.

As of March 31, 2021, total unrecognized compensation remaining to be recognized in future periods totaled $374 million for stock options, $0.2 million for restricted stock and $357 million for restricted stock units and the weighted average period over which they are expected to be recognized is two years for stock options, one month for restricted stock and two years for restricted stock units.

The Company recorded stock compensation expense of $134 million and $90 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, which is included in operating costs and expenses.